Bangalore: Hundreds of people from Byatarayanapura City Municipal Council (CMC) limits staged a protest in front of the commissioner's office on Friday. The residents were demanding lowering of property tax rate and better amenities in the 31 wards under the purview of the CMC.

"The property tax has increased five times since last year, affecting hundreds of people in the municipality. Despite the increase in collection, basic facilities like roads, water and streetlights have not been provided," said K.N. Chakrapani, former city municipal councillor and principal secretary of Karnataka Pradesh Janata Dal (Secular).

C.K. Dashvanth, Municipal Commissioner of Byatarayanapura, told The Hindu that the tax rate on properties in municipal limits was fixed by the Government and approved by the council.

"There's nothing we can do as it is a Government decision. In fact, the Government had said we could charge a maximum of 0.9 per cent. But we are charging only 0.6 per cent," he said.

On the lack of basic amenities in several wards, Mr. Dashvanth said the demands of the people were many but the revenue of the civic body was not high.

Development works

"Despite this, we have taken up Rs. 2 crore worth flood relief work. Each of the 31 wards has been given at least Rs. 25 lakh to take up development works," he said.

The Byatrayanpura CMC has 80,000 properties under its tax net.

The tax recovery is about 60 per cent, and last year the property tax collection was more than Rs. 5 crore.

The residents presented a memorandum to Health Minister R. Ashok.

Addressing the gathering, Mr. Ashok said he would hold discussions with the council members and see whether the property tax rate would be reduced from 0.6 per cent to 0.3 per cent.

He reiterated that the State Government was committed to improving facilities in the CMCs and would soon take steps to start a Greater Bangalore civic body, on the lines of the Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BMP).

The Greater Bangalore project would cost the Government about Rs. 2,000 crore, he said. Mr. Ashok also said that the Government would regularise revenue sites and not demolish the houses built on them. Stating that the project taken up by the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board to provide Cauvery water to the residents of the city had encountered problems, he said that a meeting with the officials would be held to sort out them.

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